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Fans keep the party going during Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s Fiesta Friday

April 15, 2023

They danced.

They boogied.

They strutted and stomped — pretty much anything but the waltz or fox-trot. Rule out the tango while you’re at it. None of those classics, after all, works well when partying to electronic dance music during an outdoor concert.

Instead, hundreds of EDM fans — or race lovers who just wanted to listen to some music — helped close out Day 1 of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday evening, April 14, by grooving to the beats of DJ Boombox Cartel at the Terrace Theater Plaza.

Boombox Cartel, a Mexican American DJ based in Los Angeles, helped celebrate the return of the Grand Prix’s Fiesta Friday concert for the first time since 2019. And the type of music — electronic dance music, or EDM — was also a first for Fiesta Friday.

“We’re very happy that they have brought Fiesta Friday back,” Long Beach native Alicia Hernandez, who has attended the Grand Prix with her family for the past six years, said in Spanish. “We missed it.”

Fans gather for Boombox Cartel on Friday Apr. 14, 2023, at Terrace Theater Plaza in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Los Angeles-based DJ Americo Garcia of Boombox Cartel headlines Fiesta Friday Apr. 14, 2023, at Terrace Theater Plaza in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Laura Navaja of Glendale gets into the music of Boombox Cartel on Friday Apr. 14, 2023, at Terrace Theater Plaza in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Los Angeles-based DJ Americo Garcia of Boombox Cartel headlines Fiesta Friday Apr. 14, 2023, at Terrace Theater Plaza in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Fans groove to Boombox Cartel on Friday Apr. 14, 2023, at Terrace Theater Plaza in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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Like many other fans that gathered at the front of the stage, Hernandez said she was excited to be introduced to a new musical artist and genre.

Fiesta Friday had been a regular occurrence before the coronavirus pandemic. But then race organizers canceled the 2020 Grand Prix. And there wasn’t enough time ahead of the 2021 and 2022 iterations to also host the Friday concert, which is free to Grand Prix ticket holders.

But on Friday, crowds migrated from throughout the Grand Prix concourse to the plaza outside the Long Beach Performing Arts Center to welcome the concert back — and to enjoy the fiesta.

Boombox Cartel, an internationally recognized producer and performer whose given name is Americo Garcia, has risen to the ranks as an unparalleled force in the world of dance music by combining, EDM, hip-hop and Latin influences.

Some first-time Grand Prix attendees spent the day exploring the circuit just to jam out to Boombox Cartel in the evening.

“This was the highlight of the day for me,” said Stephanie Castro, who arrived from Los Angeles in the early morning, eager to see one of her favorite EDM artists.

“I’m excited to see (Boombox Cartel), listen and relax at the end of the day,” Castro said.

Castro said she was surprised the Grand Prix would have him as a headliner — but she definitely approved.

“It brings in different crowds and different people,” Castro said. “I’m going to jam out and maybe lose my voice from singing along.”

Boombox Cartel represented a different style for Fiesta Friday, officials said previously. The Friday concert has traditionally featured rock bands.

But officials said they hoped the change would broaden the concert’s appeal, drawing a younger, more diverse audience — and particularly enticing the Latino community.

The show did its part: The concert was full of high energy and had fans of all ages jumping in the air and dancing along.

As the sun startedsetting, Boombox Cartel took the stage.

He ran on stage with his hands in air and encouraged long time EDM fans and new listeners to take part in the concert experience. His set included remixes of songs by popular artists such as Rihanna, Sam Smith and Billie Eilish.

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John Lumantas and Laura Navaja from Glendale put their hands in the air right along with Boombox Cartel — and jumped to the beat of each song the DJ played.

“I didn’t expect him to perform in this setting but it’s really cool,” Lumantas said about the EDM artist. “It’s a good element for the Grand Prix to have multiple things in one place, not just racing.”

Fiesta Friday was the first night in the concert series for this year’s Grand Prix. The Saturday night concert, closing out Day 2, will feature all-star rock band Kings of Chaos on the same concert stage in front of the Terrace Theater.

Space in the plaza is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Orange County Register

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Fans keep the party going during Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s Fiesta Friday

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